


My Darkest Side and Your Brightest Smile

by AugustStories



Series: Seblaine Happy End [5]
Category: Glee
Genre: Brotherhood, Dalton - Freeform, Family, Getting Together, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Not Kurt Hummel Friendly, Not McKinley Friendly, friends - Freeform, warblers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 01:45:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17274755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AugustStories/pseuds/AugustStories
Summary: Pushed into a shadow of himself, a single performance shows Blaine where he really belongs and who can help him return to his true self.





	My Darkest Side and Your Brightest Smile

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically the AU that needed to happen so badly because it felt so natural, it was just writing itself because it was the truth. We all saw Blaine during that performance and knew he wanted back, knew that this was the real Blaine who had been pushed into corners too long. But then the fucking inner Kurt took over again and Blaine unbuttoned that blazer again. So watch that video and then stop when Blaine's hand goes to open the button, because this is what should have happened.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TnNFsNsEwE

Glee Season 4 Episode 7 AU – The One Where Blaine Keeps A Button Closed:

 

The song was still fading out, he was even still singing, those last soft notes hanging onto his lips and he didn't want to stop, didn't want to lose the music, didn't want it to end. He didn't want the bubble to burst, but he still made a step forward, out of formation, out of synchronized dancing, and the tiny voice inside his head it had his hands going to the button of the blazer.

 

But then it stopped.

 

He stopped.

 

And the tiny voice inside his head calling 'betrayal' and 'traitor', it suddenly got so very quiet. Dead silent, for a second or two there was not a single thought in his head. Then his hands slipped away from the button, leaving it unopened, the frown on his face gave away to that bright smile once more, and Blaine shook his head.

 

Betrayal?

 

This was home.

 

This was his life.

 

McKinley, that had been betrayal, that had been losing track of who he was. McKinley had been the traitor.

 

Kurt had been the traitor. Kurt had taken him away from his home, from his family, from the friends who had cared about him and protected him. Defended him because that's what family did, and not because you had done something to deserve an hour of pity.

 

Blaine could feel eyes on him, the Warblers staring at him, waiting for some kind of reaction while he was frozen right there at the front of them where once in what felt like lifetimes ago he had his spot. He could feel the eyes of his old friends, of new faces, of Hunter, all waiting, patient and calm because they already knew what the truth was.

 

The truth that Blaine Anderson had never belonged at McKinley. The truth that Blaine Anderson had never been meant to be just some part of New Directions.

 

The truth that Kurt had taken him away from everything that had been sacred and beautiful to him, had ripped him away into a world where there had only ever been work to prove that he was more than just Kurt's other half, constant effort in finding out if people liked him for who he was or for what he was pretending to be.

 

The truth was simple: Dalton was home.

 

He turned around, caught Sebastian's eyes and the bright happy grin on his face, and he held those green eyes and sought some last strength from them. And then they spoke at the same time, Sebastian glanced over to Hunter for just a brief second, talking to him while Blaine stared at Sebastian and could for a second only see him.

 

"What did I tell you, flawless!"

 

"I want to come back!"

 

Sebastian snapped his head back to stare at him and then froze with his mouth open for at least three breaths before his face broke out into the most blinding smirk Blaine had ever seen on him.

"Really?" Sebastian wanted to know but while he was still speaking, Blaine could see Nick and Jeff breaking out of the group to rush over to him, hugging him and throwing arms around his shoulders while Rob appeared on Sebastian's left.

 

"I want to come back." Blaine said again and felt Jeff and Nick squeezing his arms, Rob was grinning and Sebastian was honest to god glowing with his smile. "If you'll have me." He added when the doubts came crashing over him and he glanced over to Hunter's face, but the other boy broke out into a grin himself and threw an arm around Sebastian's shoulders.

 

"Welcome home, Anderson."

 

\--

 

Soon after that moment most other boys made off, there were other clubs meeting later in the afternoon, the younger ones had homework to catch up on, the soccer team was meeting for a late training where their important match against their biggest rival was so close. Nick went off for the meeting of the comic book club, Jeff went off for a paper discussion with a teacher.

 

And after Hunter had left as well, stating tutoring as an excuse, Blaine was left standing in the choir room with Sebastian watching him, him watching Sebastian and Rob flung over the couch furthest from them. And no one saying a word.

 

Until Rob cleared his throat loudly and had Sebastian jump, prompting him to break eye contact with Blaine.

"Rob, why don't you...go?" Sebastian's snarky question kind of ran into nothing and Blaine saw both boys exchange a look before Rob grinned and pushed his arms behind his head.

"Now, why would I do that, Seb?" Rob asked right back, lazily rolling his head to the side so he could watch them, Blaine suddenly found himself strangely scrutinized and shifted on his feet.

 

"Rob..." Sebastian warned but Rob clicked his tongue at him and swung himself upright in one graceful movement, sitting back against the couch with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Let me make one thing clear, Blaine." Rob began and Sebastian made a sound like a wounded animal as he threw up his arms and paced over to the fireplace, Blaine threw a look from him back to the boy who had once upon a time been his roommate.

 

Two years ago to be precise, right until the day he had transferred away.

 

"Just because we're welcoming you back with open arms doesn't mean there won't be eyes on you." Rob got out with what he wanted to say and Blaine raised an eyebrow, "We missed you, some more than others, but when it comes down to it, you were the one who left us. We were not the ones who betrayed their brothers."

 

"Rob...."

 

"Shut up, Seb. I'm doing this for you." Rob called out without taking his eyes off of Blaine for one second, and Blaine didn't know if he was supposed to be afraid or amused, by now he had realized what was going on. And he was happy that Rob hadn't changed a bit. "We were friends, Blaine. Good friends I thought even, we shared that bloody room for two years, right until that afternoon where I found you packing your things and you left us without any kind of warning. And all of us deserved more than that after everything that we've been through together, and don't expect for that grudge to die down anytime soon." Blaine swallowed, he knew he had a lot to make up for, a lot of friendships he had to repair.

 

At the fireplace, Sebastian was pacing up and down, shaking his head with one hand splayed over his face, clearly hopelessly embarassed. And Blaine asked himself if this was part of turning over a new leaf or if this was the trust Sebastian had only in his best friend.

 

"But none of what happened comes even anywhere close to what I've gone through with Seb in the last year. And I swear by god, Blaine, I will not see him getting hurt again." And there they were, Sebastian groaned and Blaine set his eyes only on Rob's narrowed ones, something cold sneaking down his back, "My loyalty is with him. I'm still your friend, I'm still your brother if you truly don't back down on coming back, but Seb comes first. And if I for one second only get wind of this just being another joke, another play to get back at us for something you started yourself, then you won't even see the foot coming that will kick you out of this place."

 

"It's not a joke, Rob." Blaine finally dared to speak up when Rob had stopped long enough to not just take another breath, "Not some game. I know that I made a lot of mistakes, that I threw the Warblers under one bus when only one of you made a stupid mistake that had been an accident." Sebastian flinched and Blaine saw Rob's hand twitch, "But I am willing to work on getting that trust back, and proving to you guys that I am still your brother. Transferring to McKinley was a mistake, I can see that now."

 

"I told you so." It blurted out of Rob's lips like a bullet from a gun and his whole body deflated, arms dropping down into his lap, shoulders relaxing as he threw his head back and laughed for a moment.

"Did that feel good?" Blaine deadpanned at him, smiling though over his friend's antics, Sebastian had stopped pacing and was watching them warily.

 

"Oh god, yes." Rob nearly moaned, "Oh my god, that felt so good. Oh boy, I wanted to say that so badly for a whole year now." And Rob laughed some more, pushing himself to his feet and crossing over to Blaine in long steps before pulling him into a hug. Blaine rolled his eyes and hugged him right back, holding on, "It's good to have you back, B."

"It feels good to come home." Blaine agreed and they pulled apart again, "I get the warning, okay? I do. I'm happy he has people protecting him."

 

"'He' is standing right here." Sebastian grouched and crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl on his face as they turned to look at him, "And he is not some damsel in distress, waiting for his knight in shining armor riding in on the white horse." Rob only smirked in response, Blaine chuckled. "Can we please have a moment to talk now, Rob? Alone!"

"He is all yours, my king." Rob drawled and downright curtsied in Sebastian's direction before walking away quickly when Sebastian made a motion to throw a piece of firewood after him, "I'm gonna go and ask Miss Rivers for transfer papers. She's gonna freak if I tell her that they are for Mister Blaine Anderson."

 

And then Rob closed the door of the choir room and they were alone.

 

For a moment no one moved and they didn't look at each other, but then Sebastian huffed and walked over to the couch he had sat on during the beginning of 'Dark Side'.

"Him." He sighed and then blew out a breath, turning his head to look up at him out of open green eyes, "I don't know if I should apologize or ask for pity. You'd been rooming with him longer than I have until now." Sebastian pointed out and the awkwardness was broken before it could really develop.

 

Blaine laughed and walked over to the couch across from Sebastian, dropping down on it and closing his eyes just briefly when he felt the sleeves of the blazer sliding along his shirt.

"Don't apologize, Rob is protective of his friends. I didn't expect anything else from him, he did the same to Kurt when he switched here." Blaine explained and Sebastian looked at him, curiosity written all over his face.

 

"Is it true that you two broke up? Because this place has been crawling with rumors for the last two weeks." Sebastian wanted to know, and there was no judging in his eyes, and Blaine didn't find himself flinching as he had been with anyone else who had brought up the topic. Kurt and him, they were done, that was final, he needed to find a healthy way to get past the heartache.

"Yeah." He agreed, fiddling with his left sleeve, "We're done, and there is no way that's ever gonna get fixed again." He sent in after and didn't even really know why.

 

"For all it's worth, I'm sorry. I know I said a whole lot of things over the last year but that doesn't mean I'll just stand by and smile when a relationship breaks apart." Sebastian offered and Blaine nodded, "I didn't like Kurt, that's the truth, but that didn't mean I wanted you to get hurt again. So...I'm sorry, Blaine."

 

And Blaine knew he spoke the truth.

 

"Can I tell you something, Seb?" Blaine wanted to know then, feeling something in his chest loosened up, maybe he could finally talk about this with someone who wouldn't silently judge him, Sebastian nodded and Blaine stumbled into the story about Eli.

 

And Sebastian listened.

 

\--

 

"I wanted to go. See you perform again." Sebastian told him, about his decision to not follow Blaine's more or less offered invitation to Grease, as they walked down the corridors to get to the East dorm's third floor, the 'Warblers floor' had been a tradition long before Blaine had come to Dalton. With all of them on one floor, no one got annoyed or frustrated over twice daily impromptu song sessions. "But after Nick and Jeff mentioned whom they had seen around, I thought it might be better if I...you know...don't overstep my welcome."

 

"You're still terrified of Santana." Blaine teased and then jumped up two steps on the stairs to get away from Sebastian's quick hands, "Come on, admit it. She can be quite scary."

"I think we've reached a mutual understanding by now. Or at least her two emails each week let me think that." Sebastian smirked and Blaine stopped at the top of the stairs, looking down at Sebastian with gaping lips.

 

"You...Santana is writing you emails?" He wanted to know, voice jumping over some octaves and Sebastian laughed, but nodded.

"Since Regionals last year, seems I made more of an impression than I thought I did. We get along, I saw her at the end of the summer when we played a friendly against Louisville's high school." Sebastian told him and Blaine just blinked, "We talk, we write, drives Rob crazy."

 

"I think my mind just got blown. That is not something I expected." Blaine confessed and Sebastian laughed, passing by him to step as the first one into the corridor. Blaine followed him, didn't need to watch where he was going, even though he had never been up here since leaving all these long months ago, he knew exactly how to turn to get to Rob's and Sebastian's dorm room. It had been his not too far long ago as well after all.

 

Sebastian pulled the key from his back pocket and then furrowed his brow at a note pinned to the door, and then groaned after having read it. Blaine raised an eyebrow as the taller boy twirled around on one foot to look over to the room right across from his, door half opened.

"Why?" He whined and from behind the door something was set to the ground before the currently youngest Warbler stuck his head around the corner. Blaine couldn't remember his name even though he knew that he had often seen the kid hanging around Sebastian.

 

"I think she realized that you are helping me, so now I have new standards to fill." The boy answered Sebastian's question and though Blaine was confused as to what was going on, it was still funny to see the annoyance cross over Sebastian's face before he switched to determination.

"Tonight after lacrosse practice, Skylar." Sebastian began, crumbling up the sticky note and turning around to open his door, "Bring the essay and her notes, we'll go over it again and if she then still has something to complain about, I'm gonna see her over it myself."

 

Skylar, the freshman from last year with the round hazel eyes and cheeky smile, grinned and then vanished back into his room with a called out "Thanks, Seb." Sebastian waved it away and pushed open his door, sending the note flying into the trashcan. Blaine stepped into the room after him, noted with a quick grin flying over his face that Rob's side of it all hadn't changed a bit. A few new things here and there, but the bed was still a pillow mountain, the bookshelf was still the neatest Blaine had ever seen, the desk was still arranged in such a strict order that it was creepy and the fairy lights were still covering every inch of wall around the bed.

 

Sebastian's side looked less clinically clean and sorted, the shelf between bed and desk was overflowing with books and little paraphernalia. The desk was a mess, and it looked almost exactly like Blaine's own one back in the day that he just had to grin, a hoodie thrown over the chair, a lacrosse shirt flung over the foot of the bed, blankets not tugged in like Rob's but instead thrown around wildly. There was a magnet board over the bed, filled to the brink with pictures and postcards and Blaine grinned when he spotted that small round face with the big Bambi eyes in at least half of them.

 

"Take a seat..some...where..." Sebastian began with a smile and then frowned at the state of chair and bed, "In my defense, I was busy the last days."

"Hey, it's fine. Not everyone likes it military style sorted like Mr. Robot." Blaine chuckled and Sebastian glanced over to his roommate's side of the room, before he stalked over to his desk, snatched the hoodie from the chair and threw it onto the lacrosse shirt on the bed, two seconds later he had the blankets bundled up with shirts and all and pushed it onto one giant head in front of the closet.

 

Blaine laughed over the content smile on Sebastian's face and pulled up the now empty chair, letting Sebastian sit down onto his bed.

 

They continued talking, because it was just so easy.

\--

 

"Ah!"

 

They both looked up at the cry of outrage and Sebastian quickly had a hand at the back of his neck, rubbing the skin when he caught sight of Rob's wide eyes in the doorway, staring at the blanket and clothes pile in front of the shared closet. With a growl, Rob wrenched himself away from the sight and glared at Sebastian who sheepishly at least tried to not look too guilty.

 

"That is gone before we leave for practice later." Rob grumbled as he stalked into the room, holding out a brown leather map to Blaine in the next moment, "Everything you will need to transfer back. I even took the liberty to throw in a dorming application in there, figured you were still not a fan of commuting." Rob explained and Blaine pulled the map to his chest with a pounding heart, coming home had never felt so good before.

 

Rob sat down cross-legged on his bed and for a moment let his eyes flicker between Sebastian and Blaine, and they looked back at him.

"You two look more relaxed than I had feared, good to know I was wrong in that. Miss Rivers said that if the paperwork comes back signed tomorrow already, she can have you installed back at the end of the week." Rob explained and Blaine grinned all bright and wide.

 

"Which rooms have a free bed?" He asked and Sebastian and Rob shared a look, probably to do a quick count in their heads.

"As long as you don't get anyone to switch with you, Hunter and Sky." Sebastian answered him, "So you get to choose between another military style sorted robot," He chose to send Blaine's own words right back at him and Blaine rolled his eyes at Sebastian, "Or you take the easy going sophomore whose only flaws are the tendency to forget the world when he is reading and his atrocious taste in relax music."

 

Blaine glanced over to Rob who mouthed 'Katy Perry' at him with a grin and Blaine laughed at the look on Sebastian's face.

"He sounds awesome...I'll have to talk with my parents about this later, see what they say about letting me dorm again, but I don't think they will say no. My father has been at my back since the beginning of the summer, and I think I actually better make my way home now. He'll already wonder where I am." Blaine explained and they all got to their feet.

 

Rob and Sebastian walked him down to the main entrance and said goodbye with hugs that already felt a thousand times less awkward and stiff.

"Thank you." He said to them after stepping already down a step on the stairs leading down to the parking lot, "I know it was you two with the trophy. I mean it had to be someone more involved from last year, and neither Trent, Nick or Jeff would have the guts for it. Hunter can claim it to have been his idea, but I know the truth." Blaine smiled when Rob and Sebastian exchanged a look before smirking, "So thank you, it took something quite that drastic to bring me home and open my eyes. I owe you."

 

"You don't." Sebastian told him, leaning against the open front door of the Academy, "Come back to us, stop frowning so much and we're even." Blaine grinned at him.

"I still need that trophy back though, guys. I can't leave those guys without their Nationals' trophy." He went on and Sebastian and Rob rolled their eyes but nodded, "And don't get caught bringing it back, I might have to feel forced to slushy you. Doesn't feel nice."

 

"Low blow, killer, low blow." Sebastian winced and then muttered, Blaine stuck his tongue out at him and then turned around.

"Oh, hey, Blaine?" Rob called him back when he was already walking down the parking lot and Blaine looked over his shoulder to him, "Call the trio, they will be ecstatic."

"I will. And Seb?" Blaine caught the tall brunet's attention one last time as he reached his car, "Playing nice might suck but it looks good on you."

 

\--

 

Blaine didn't even spent any time hesitating about the decision at all, he drove home and went straight from the car to his father's office. He presented the leather folder, bit his tongue throughout the following half an hour lecture on "I told you so" and "Stop throwing your life away" while his father worked through the paperwork.

 

And then his father had signed the last sheet and looked up from where he was sitting behind his desk, and it had been months since they had last spent so much time in one room together. Blaine shifted under the look in his father's eyes, his own eyes just so much grown up, he felt fourteen again, sitting in this chair that still was way too big, still scared and so terrified of everything, listening to his father telling him about Dalton Academy.

 

"You know that I only want the best for you, don't you, Blaine?" His father surprised him with a calm voice and Blaine blinked at him. "I know that I don't always know how to show it, but this right here." And he tapped the map on his desk with a finger, "This means I can sleep again in peace, go to work without having to constantly glance over to my phone, expecting a call that I never ever want to have again."

 

"You knew, didn't you? That I would go back? That my way always led back to Dalton?" Blaine asked and his father nodded, "Why?"

"Because Dalton is not just some school, Blaine, not for you. Back when I decided to sent you there instead of just one of the other high schools around here, I did it because I needed to know my son was safe. I couldn't protect you, so I needed to find a safe space for you. But what you found there was more than that, it..." And Blaine dared to interrupt his father.

 

"It was home." He whispered and dropped his gaze down to the Dalton logo on the map, "It is family and home. And McKinley never was."

"This is a good move, Blaine." And that apparently was the most emotional talk his father could shoulder in one evening after Blaine had dropped the surprise onto him, "I'll bring these over on my way to work tomorrow. If you need any help with moving your things back into the dormitory, tell me."

 

"Thank you, Dad." Blaine said and got back up, he had some phone calls to make and preferably directly a skype session to not repeat himself three times.

"Don't forget to call your brother!" His father yelled after him when Blaine had already left his home office and turned to the staircase.

"I'm already typing a message to Wes." Blaine yelled back, fingers flying over the display of his phone to see if Wes had time to skype, sending the same message to David and Thad.

 

"I meant the other one." His father send after him, already laughing and Blaine winced with one foot already on the stairs, "But it's good to know that the Montgomery boy is still looking out for you. Call Cooper, Blaine." Blaine rolled his eyes but yelled an afirmative down before rushing up into his room.

 

His phone buzzed with three incoming messages and he grinned, diving onto his bed and quickly opening his laptop. Logging into skype didn't take long and he let the connection built up while he got comfortable on his bed, only too late realizing that he was still wearing the blazer.

 

Well, that was one way of dropping that news, he figured as Wes' face crystalized on one half of the laptop screen, David's figure still moving around behind the couch Wes was sitting on in their shared apartment. Wes caught sight of him and whatever greeting his mouth had wanted to produce fell short when his mouth dropped open and he stared.

 

Blaine found himself grinning when Thad's window cleared up as well and their New Haven moved friend looked up with his phone at his ear. And then Thad started speaking just as David dropped onto the couch next to Wes, asking his friend quietly what was wrong with him.

 

"Hey, Blai....you're wearing a blazer...Why are you wearing a Dalton blazer?" Thad blurted out and Blaine saw how David snapped his head around to look at the laptop they had set up for the call. Thad frowned and then blinked, he set his phone down on the desk he was sitting at, swiping his finger over the display, "I'm gonna have to call you back, Gretchen."

 

"Is this what I think it is?" Wes took right over with the questions and David and him both leaned closer to the laptop, "Speak up right now, Blaine Anderson."

"What do you think it means, Wesley?" Blaine smirked and pushed another pillow behind his head.

"Well..." Wes began, carefully daring to smile, "You've either gone mental and murdered one of the Warblers, and are now proudly wearing the keepsake of your revenge for them stealing the damn trophy.."

 

"Not funny, Wes."

 

"Or..." Wes fully chose to ignore Thad's grumbling, "You've done what I've been praying for for over a year now, and you're going back to Dalton."

"Are you?" Thad and David threw in directly after and Blaine could have tried as much as he wanted to play it all cool and aloof, he just couldn't hold back on the giddy happy grin falling over his face and the excited stupid clapping.

 

"I am!" He called out, "Dad will bring the signed paperwork back to Dalton tomorrow, Miss Rivers promised Rob that she could have me reinstalled at the end of the week." Wes sighed so loud that it was almost heartbreaking and he fell back into the couch while David cheered and threw up his hands, just like Thad. "I'm going home, guys."

 

"Tell us everything." David prompted him when it looked like Wes might not be able to speak for the next minutes, and Blaine jumped into the story.

 

\--

 

By the time Regionals came around, Blaine was fully back to feeling like himself, comfortable in his skin and mindset, happy to be back with the Warblers, to be part of something great again. He had his friends, his family back, and they had all worked hard to achieve a performance set that would assure them the win over the New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline.

 

And something else had him happy, too.

 

The blatant sexual tension between Sebastian and him, the whole dance of chemistry and attraction, it hadn't yet come to a finish, but it felt like it was closing in on it any day now.

 

Sebastian had quickly become more than just a friend this time around, with the hostility and the never ending schemes gone, Blaine had connected with him on a level that felt incredible. They could talk for hours and completely forget the time, or watch movies and fall asleep together, and none of it would feel awkward. Sebastian would throw his arm around Blaine's shoulders and pull him close, and Blaine would lean against him.

 

And every single time he would know why coming back had felt so right from the start.

 

Nick and Jeff would constantly ask him just when he was going to ask Sebastian out, considering that they were already acting more married than even Thad and Rob, and they were actually into each other contrary to 'Buttercup and Honey'. Blaine would always duck his head, glance over to Sebastian or at least somewhere in the direction of where he would know Sebastian to be and smile.

 

Skylar – who had become a fun roommate to have and someone to turn up Katy Perry so loud with that Sebastian continuously threatened to put spiders in their beds at night – kept on asking Blaine as well, and somehow it felt a little bit like he might be poking around for clues for someone else.

 

The biggest instigator was unsurprisingly Rob who would have surely locked them in a broom closet with rose petals, fairy lights and the theme from Titanic playing if Regionals hadn't come first. Rob who wanted to see them both happy, Rob who had as Blaine would later learn been kinda used by both of them to lend a listening ear to whining and pining over each other.

 

And Rob had had enough.

 

Fate as well.

 

\--

 

Blaine barely had time to let his mind hear the words as the winner of this year's Regionals was announced before Sebastian was already hugging him and grinning at him. The boys around them were screaming and Hunter was going to get the trophy, and then they were all jumping up and down and yelling and hugging each other.

 

It felt so magical.

 

Blaine wasn't in it for the winning, but winning still felt awesome.

 

Sebastian had grabbed his hand at some point on stage and none of them gave any thought to letting go anytime soon.

 

\--

 

The victory party was in full swing in the music room and the corridor outside of it, Warblers and non-Warbler Dalton boys mingling together, even a teacher or two came by to congratulate them. At least one Warbler kept out blurting out a yelled "WE'RE GOING TO NATIONALS!" every fifteen minutes or so.

 

Different kinds of Los Angeles related songs kept on being played and though one was worst than the one before, they all still sang along.

 

And it was in all that euphoria crazed happiness that Blaine had stolen himself away from his friends when his brother had finally called him back. So there he was now, leaning against a window in an alcove one corridor down from the party, watching out over Dalton's grounds, grinning as bright as the sun that had went down hours ago.

 

"Oh, I'm sure they would love it, Coop." Blaine laughed out and then looked up when the door at the end of the corridor got opened and Sebastian stuck his head into the corridor. Blaine waved him over before he once more laughed over his brother's crazy ideas for showing them around Los Angeles once they were there. Sebastian approached with slow steps, having lost his tie by now as well after the blazer had been gone the second they had returned to Dalton.

 

Nothing on him looked dapper anymore.

 

And Blaine couldn't look away.

 

"Hey, Coop, I gotta go. I'll call you when I know more about Nationals...Yes, thank you. Bye." And once he had ended the call, Blaine pushed his phone back into his pants and turned to fully face Sebastian coming to stand right in front of him. "Hey, have you been looking for me?"

"Maybe." Sebastian smiled, taking another step closer, "Or maybe I just needed a break from hearing the Jonas Brothers destroy music for the fifth time in a row."

 

Blaine chuckled and brought up a hand to straighten out the collar of Sebastian's shirt again, Sebastian watched his movements with curious eyes. And then he snapped out a hand and pressed Blaine's hand back against his neck when Blaine had been about to pull back and Blaine looked up into green eyes.

 

"Blaine...I'm not reading anything into this that isn't there, right? Because if that's the case you better tell me right away. I won't let us get burned again." Sebastian was whispering almost and Blaine could feel his pulse racing a bit under his fingertips, Sebastian's fingers curling around his wrist, so warm and steady.

 

Feeling so good.

 

"You're not reading anything wrong." Blaine answered him just as quietly, "Seb, I'm tired of dancing." He pointed out and Sebastian hummed, bringing up a hand to trace the shell of Blaine's ear, his other hand coming to rest on Blaine's waist, warm through the thin dress shirt. "I like spending time with you. I like talking to you, being with you...And I really appreciate being seduced."

 

Sebastian licked his lips at that, fingers dipping a little tighter against Blaine's skin, "I like doing the seducing. And I like spending time with you, too, killer."

"Good." Blaine told him and let his free hand reach up to play with a button on Sebastian's shirt, the fingers of the one Sebastian was still holding to his own neck stroking a little. "So how about you stop being so careful with me?"

  
"That an order?" Sebastian smirked, Blaine grinned right back and when Sebastian let go of his wrist to grab ahold of Blaine's waist for good, drawing him closer, Blaine curled his hand around the back of Sebastian's neck.

"Yes, my captain." Blaine replied to the question and leaned up on his toes just a bit, "In fact I want that order followed right..."

 

And he couldn't even finish because Sebastian had pulled their bodies impossibly close and had crashed their lips together. There was no longer being careful, no longer just faint kisses against the top of Blaine's head when Sebastian thought him to already be asleep, no more gentle holding or touches.

 

Sebastian was finally giving him what Blaine had complained to Rob about for the last six weeks.

 

Himself.

 

And he smiled into the kiss and wrapped both arms around Sebastian's neck, pushing right back, kissing him right back. Sebastian hummed again, the sound vibrating through his chest and with one step forward he had Blaine pressed right up against the wall. They broke apart for just a short moment, looking at each other through wide blown eyes, and then they were grinning.

 

"Everything you imagined it to be?" Blaine asked Sebastian with something cocky swinging along in his voice, Sebastian grinned brighter.

"So much better even." Sebastian offered up and dived right back in for another kill, Blaine laughed at first, but turned it into a moan when Sebastian deepened the kiss, one hand sliding up into brunet hair.

 

So much better indeed.

 

At the end of the corridor the door got opened again and footsteps could be heard among the distant sound of the party music and loud laughter.

 

"Hey, guys, have you...oh god, fucking finally!"

 

\--

 

Epilogue:

 

Five years down the road, Blaine can't imagine his life any better, living together with the love of his life, working hard on fulfilling his dream while Sebastian lives to strive for his. And maybe the Warblers are thrown all over New England and the East Coast, and the only ones so far having followed them to New York are Roberto and Skylar, but it changed nothing.

 

They were all still close, calling and skyping, meeting up all the time, usually in New York, prompting Seb and Rob to often complain about playing hosts and poking their friends into finally realizing that New York was the supreme city.

 

Sometimes though, life throws you lemons.

 

And even though the lemons hadn't come flying either Blaine's or Sebastian's way directly ten months ago, it still had felt like it when it had been their best friend in the line of fire. And by now they had just managed to fall back into something like normalcy, even Rob had gotten used to his life changes.

 

Turns out. Today would be another lemon though.

 

Blaine hurries up the stairs, hands already busy fishing the keys out of his satchel while he smiles at their downstairs neighbours and hopes he doesn't look as freaked out as he feels. He has never rushed home this fast, but once Sebastian's text had come in, there really wasn't any other choice.

 

_'Cathy lost her mind. I don't know what to do with Rob.'_

 

Blaine had known something was wrong the last time he had seen her, something had definitely been up in the air and he should have fucking spoken about it with Rob. And now there is the trouble. Sebastian hasn't answered any of his texts, neither had he picked up Blaine's call, and that was just not normal.

 

So Blaine rushes from one subway to the next and makes it home to their apartment right outside Columbia University in record time, cursing that his music classes always run overtime.

 

"I'm home!" He announces the second he has the apartment door open and then quickly closed again, throwing coat, satchel and keys onto the sideboard Blaine kicked off his shoes before hurrying on, turning the corner into the living room with his phone still clutched in his hand. "I'm here, what's the cri...sis..." The word breaks off in his mouth as Blaine takes sight of their living room.

 

Rob is holding an ice pack to the right side of his face while simultaneously sitting slumped over in the armchair with his other hand covering his face, his body twitching in that exact way that tells Blaine that Rob is crying.

 

Crying.

 

 _Rob_ was _crying_.

 

He feels his heart start racing because Rob is one of the toughest guys he knows and the last time he had seen him cry – ultimately also the first time ever – had been last year, ten months ago when Cathy had...

 

Sebastian appears from the open kitchen around the corner and brings with himself the reason for Rob's first breakdown and _their_ following freakout.

"Hi." Sebastian deadpans when their eyes lock, "You have two choices." He starts, his voice dangerously low even though Blaine can see whom the anger is directed at and it certainly is no one in the room. Blaine walks over to him, "You either pick Rob and a call to Thad. Or you pick Lydia and then watch me kill a bitch."

 

One arm coming up to cup Sebastian's face in one palm, the other reaching out to stroke over the soft fuzz on Lydia's little head, Blaine tries to not let his shocked confusion show and instead hopes to have Sebastian calm down a little.

"What happened?" Blaine asks and Sebastian huffs angrily, shoulders all tensing up and then only snapping back into a more relaxed state when the baby in his arms grows fussy.

 

Blaine wants to offer to take her but even though he doesn't understand yet what the hell is going on, he can see that Sebastian is only keeping himself back from doing something in his anger because his goddaughter is clutching at his shirt with her little tiny fingers, and he doesn't want to upset her any more than she apparently already is.

 

Alright, Blaine thinks, I got this.

 

He steers Sebastian onto the couch and sits him down, leans in to kiss him first and then Lydia's head before kneeling down in front of Rob.

 

The truth comes out slowly then, Rob and Seb both speak, take turns, and paint Blaine the picture of Rob's ex having lost the last remaining marbles her head had still been able to hold. He is so angry soon enough he understands Seb's wish to go out there and rip her a new one. Ten months ago they had sat here in this same arrangement almost, with them on one couch and Rob breaking down in the chair, when his ex-girlfriend, the first one who had really stuck for longer than just a month, had after three months of no contact popped up out of nowhere again.

 

With a bump.

 

And a sappy story of not wanting to do this alone, to let her daughter have a mother and a father. And Rob changes his entire life around, makes a place for them, endures the anger of his parents and then actually gets excited for his daughter. And then Lydia is born and Sebastian to this day pretends he didn't vanish into the bathroom to cry when Rob asked him to be her godfather, and they are all happy.

 

Until today when Cathy decided to lose her freaking mind, punch Rob in the face while he was holding the baby and then throw them out into the frigging cold of New York with no explanation whatsoever other than it's over.

 

Rob's a mess, Sebastian is buzzing with fury, Lydia is one short moment away from crying again and Blaine wonders how they're gonna get out of this one now.

 

\--

 

They get out of it the exact same way they did the last time, or the time before that when Wes got sick, or the one before that when Nick got mugged. They hold together. They fix things together and don't ever leave anyone behind, and they don't even need the parentals to help. Thad comes down from New Haven and no one can talk to Rob better than him, Skylar watches Lydia for a few hours while Blaine and Sebastian go out to confront Cathy, and it all works out. In time. Without her being in the picture, but god alone knows they don't need her.

 

Rob can raise his daugher alone, because he isn't alone.

 

That summer, when Sebastian's little brother Sage joins them in New York and the whole gang comes down for a weekend in the big city that never sleeps, it's a wild group of young men with their partners and a baby in Central Park. And Blaine is so happy as he watches Sebastian laugh just as much as the baby he tickles, Thad makes pictures and Rob looks tired but also like he could hug the world.

 

Nick and Jeff are glowing with post-honeymoon happiness and David can't stop touching his wife's bump. Skylar and Sage are eyeing the group of girls playing volleyball and Blaine has the feeling they're gonna lose them soon.

 

"So..." Wes says quietly as he drops down next to him in the sun, a few feet away from their friends huddled in the shadow of the oak tree, "How long do I still need to hold onto that ring, Blainers? It's been six months now." And Blaine thinks, not long anymore, but wants to color it as a joke.

"Unless you have it right here with you, a few more days until you can send it down." Blaine laughs out but Wes has him shut up rather quickly when he pulls up his bag, his train had come in late and he had went right down to park to meet them from Central Station, "Wes..."

 

"Hey, you asked!" His oldest friend points out and nods over to Sebastian having gone over to balance Lydia up in the air over his face, Sage has started to complain that Sebastian loves the kid more than his own little brother, Blaine just finds it adorable, it fills him with something wonderful. "He looks happy." Wes says all casual, "Beautiful day, good friends." Wes tells him all with a blossoming smirk as he pulls out the little black box from a side pocket in his bag, with his hand curled around it he hides it from view.

 

Blaine still can feel his heart beating faster.

 

"Listen, Blaine, all those proposal ideas I pushed right down again? They're not him. Big gestures with flowers and choirs to sing sappy love songs from balconies? It's not Sebastian, but this right here? In a secluded area in a beautiful place, on a beautiful day, surrounded by the people he trusts most in this world?" Wes smiles and pushes the little box into his right hand that has suddenly stretched out towards him, "It's something none of you will ever forget because it's perfect."

 

"And you wanna get rid of the ring." Blaine deadpans but he is smiling, glancing from the box over to Sebastian.

"It's been six months." Wes chuckles, "It's starting to drive me crazy." And they both laugh, but then Blaine takes a deep breath, Wes is right, no better moment than right now after everything had calmed down again.

 

"Can you go and ask him to come over to me? That I need to ask him something?" He wants to know and Wes pats his shoulder, squeezes once for good measure and then gets up. Blaine watches him, how he walks over to the rest, and the crouches down next to Sebastian. How he snatches up a shrieking Lydia and nods over to Blaine when Sebastian looks at him, Wes says something and then Blaine looks away when Sebastian moves.

 

"Something wrong?" Sebastian asks once he is close enough but Blaine shakes his head quickly, instead patting the space next to him on the blanket. His heart is pounding but in the good way, he has been waiting for this moment for six months, he has been over what he wants to say over a billion times, grand speeches and love declarations and it had all been wrong. Wes was right, simple things, private, because nothing between them needed grand gestures, they knew each other.

 

So he waits until Sebastian has sat down, then he takes one of his hands, looks up into his eyes and just goes for it.

  
"Do you want to marry me, Sebastian?"

 

And his left hand flicks open the black box with the simple silver ring, Sebastian's eyes snap from his face to the ring and back again. There is no hesitation, no shock, no split second of his brain needing time to catch up, Sebastian just grins and then has him pushed down on the blanket, crawls on top of him and peppers his lips with kisses.

 

"Yes." He says after every single kiss, "Yes, yes, yes. A thousand times yes." And Blaine kisses him back but then they're both laughing too much and smiling too hard to get any kisses done proper anymore. And Blaine pushes them around, pulls the ring from its little velvet box and Sebastian eagerly holds out his hand for him to slide on the ring.

 

"I love you, Seb." Blaine tells him who leans up and kisses him again, "I love you, too, killer." And they drop their foreheads together, both aware of just the moment when the sudden silence around them breaks and their friends start cheering.

 

This is their perfect happy ending.

 

 


End file.
